ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07737028Updated Aug 4, 2026

Web-Based End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Care Education for Nursing Students

An interventional study of Web-Based End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Care Education and Face-to-Face Case Discussion Sessions in End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Care Education, sponsored by Necmettin Erbakan University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-04.

Sponsored by Necmettin Erbakan University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
74
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a web-based end-of-life and post-mortem care education program on nursing students' post-mortem self-efficacy, death literacy, and attitudes toward the principles of a dignified death. Participants will receive educational content through an online learning platform, and the effectiveness of the program will be assessed using validated questionnaires administered before and after the intervention. The findings are expected to support the development of accessible, sustainable, and effective digital education programs that enhance nursing students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to end-of-life and post-mortem care.

Read the detailed description

This study is designed as a single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based end-of-life and post-mortem care education program developed for undergraduate nursing students. The educational intervention has been developed as part of a doctoral dissertation and is based on current scientific evidence, international recommendations, and the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) curriculum.

The intervention consists of eight structured online learning modules covering the fundamental concepts of end-of-life care, symptom management, recognition of the dying process, principles of a dignified death, post-mortem care practices, family support, spiritual care, and case-based learning. Each module is designed to be completed within approximately 10-15 minutes and includes narrated presentations, visual materials, flowcharts, decision trees, animations, and case-based learning activities. The educational videos will be delivered through a dedicated web-based learning platform that allows participants to access the content regardless of time and location. The platform will ensure sequential completion of the modules; participants will not be able to fast-forward videos or proceed to the next module without completing the current one.

Participants randomized to the intervention group will receive the web-based educational program through the online learning platform over a two-month period. Participants randomized to the control group will participate in three face-to-face case discussion sessions covering end-of-life and post-mortem care as specified in the study protocol. To minimize contamination between the study groups, participants in the control group will not have access to the web-based educational platform during the intervention period. After completion of data collection, the web-based educational materials will also be made available to participants in the control group.

Before implementation, the educational materials will undergo expert review to establish content validity. Subsequently, a pilot study will be conducted with nursing graduates to evaluate the usability of the web platform and the comprehensibility of the educational content. Feedback obtained during the pilot phase will be incorporated into the final version of the educational program before participant recruitment begins.

Participants will be allocated to the study groups using a computer-generated randomization procedure conducted by an independent researcher who is not involved in the implementation of the study. To ensure comparability between groups, randomization will be performed while considering participants' grade point averages. Because the educational intervention will be delivered by the principal investigator, investigator blinding will not be feasible. However, participants will not be informed of their group allocation, and the researchers responsible for outcome assessment, data coding, and statistical analyses will remain blinded to group assignment. The study will be conducted and reported in accordance with the CONSORT 2025 Statement: Updated Guideline for Reporting Randomized Trials.

The web-based education platform has been specifically designed for this study to provide flexible access to educational materials while enabling standardized delivery of the intervention. The platform includes secure individual user accounts, participant progress monitoring, reminder functions, and restricted access limited to enrolled participants. These features are intended to improve participant adherence and ensure consistent implementation of the educational intervention throughout the study.

02

Conditions studied

  • End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Care Education

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Keywords

  • End-of-Life Care
  • Post-Mortem Care
  • Nursing Students
  • Web-Based Education
  • Death Literacy
  • Dignified Death
  • Self-Efficacy
03

In context

Death

456 studies on the registry are indexed under Death; 86 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 74 is below the median of 163 across 210 interventional studies indexed under Death.

Browse Death studies →

Lead sponsor

Necmettin Erbakan University is the lead sponsor of 201 studies on the registry; 48 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Fourth-year undergraduate nursing students enrolled at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Necmettin Erbakan University, during the 2026-2027 Spring semester.
  • Successful completion of the Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical Nursing, and Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing courses.
  • Access to an internet-enabled device.
  • Willingness to participate and provide .

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Failure to complete at least one educational module.
  • Failure to complete the baseline, post-intervention, or follow-up assessments.
  • Withdrawal from the study at any time.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
74 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental Group

    Participants assigned to the experimental group will receive a web-based end-of-life and post-mortem care education program consisting of eight structured online modules delivered over a two-month period. The educational content is provided through a dedicated web-based learning platform that allows participants to access the modules asynchronously while ensuring sequential completion of all learning activities.

    Behavioral: Web-Based End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Care Education

  • Active comparator
    Control Group

    Participants assigned to the control group will participate in three face-to-face case discussion sessions covering end-of-life and post-mortem care topics according to the study protocol. Access to the web-based educational program will be withheld during the intervention period and will be provided after completion of data collection.

    Behavioral: Face-to-Face Case Discussion Sessions

Interventions

  • BehavioralWeb-Based End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Care Education

    Participants assigned to the experimental group will receive a web-based educational program consisting of eight structured online modules covering end-of-life and post-mortem care. The program is delivered through a dedicated web-based learning platform and includes narrated presentations, visual materials, case-based learning activities, and interactive educational resources. The intervention is designed to be completed over a two-month period, with sequential access to the modules to ensure completion of all educational content.

  • BehavioralFace-to-Face Case Discussion Sessions

    Participants assigned to the control group will participate in three face-to-face case discussion sessions focusing on end-of-life and post-mortem care according to the study protocol. During the intervention period, participants in the control group will not have access to the web-based educational platform. After completion of data collection, access to the web-based educational materials will be provided.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Post-Mortem Self-Efficacy

    Change in nursing students' post-mortem self-efficacy will be measured using the End-of-Life and Post-Mortem Self-Efficacy Scale for Nursing Students. Total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy in end-of-life and post-mortem care.

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately after completion of the 2-month intervention (approximately 2 months), and 2-month follow-up (approximately 4 months from baseline).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Death Literacy

    Change in nursing students' death literacy measured using the Death Literacy Index. Total scores range from 29 to 145, with higher scores indicating higher levels of death literacy.

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately after completion of the 2-month intervention (approximately 2 months), and 2-month follow-up (approximately 4 months from baseline).

  2. Attitudes Toward the Principles of a Dignified Death

    Change in nursing students' attitudes toward the principles of a dignified death measured using the Attitudes Toward the Principles of a Dignified Death Scale. Total scores range from 12 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater endorsement of the principles of a dignified death.

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately after completion of the 2-month intervention (approximately 2 months), and 2-month follow-up (approximately 4 months from baseline).

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Seydişehir Kamil Akkanat Faculty of Health Sciences, Necmettin Erbakan University
    Konya, Seydisehir 42360, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Gizem Nur Kati, PhD(c) · Contactgizemnur.kati@erbakan.edu.tr · +905057185094
    • Hilal Turkben Polat, Associate Professor · Principal investigator
08

References and documents

Publications

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  • Yoong SQ, Wang W, Seah ACW, Kumar N, Gan JON, Schmidt LT, Lin Y, Zhang H. Nursing students' experiences with patient death and palliative and end-of-life care: A systematic review and meta-synthesis. Nurse Educ Pract. 2023 May;69:103625. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2023.103625. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PubMed 37004470 ↗
  • Xu GR, Yu WY. Mediating effect of meaning in life on death anxiety and attitude toward palliative care among undergraduate nursing students. BMC Palliat Care. 2024 Jun 5;23(1):139. doi: 10.1186/s12904-024-01472-w. PubMed 38840188 ↗
  • Wang W, Wu C, Bai D, Chen H, Cai M, Gao J, Hou C. A meta-analysis of nursing students' knowledge and attitudes about end-of-life care. Nurse Educ Today. 2022 Dec;119:105570. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105570. Epub 2022 Sep 23. PubMed 36182790 ↗
  • Wang A, Nan F, Jin LS, Jin H. A SWOT Analysis of Death Literacy Education in Nursing: Implications for Hospice and Palliative Care in China. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2025 Nov 27;18:7749-7756. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S559188. eCollection 2025. PubMed 41334159 ↗
  • Vanderspank-Wright B, Efstathiou N, Vandyk AD. Critical care nurses' experiences of withdrawal of treatment: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Int J Nurs Stud. 2018 Jan;77:15-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.09.012. Epub 2017 Sep 28. PubMed 29024808 ↗
  • Uzen Cura S. Nursing Students' Spiritual Orientations and Their Attitudes Toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity: A Sample from Turkey. J Relig Health. 2021 Feb;60(1):221-231. doi: 10.1007/s10943-020-01029-0. PubMed 32418151 ↗
  • Ustundag S, Durgu N, Cekic Y, Unver G. Visual perceptions of a good death: A mixed-methods study on the perceptions of nursing students in Turkey toward a good death. Nurse Educ Pract. 2025 Feb;83:104289. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2025.104289. Epub 2025 Feb 9. PubMed 39951904 ↗
  • United States. President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine, & Behavioral Research. (1981). Defining death: A report on the medical, Legal and Ethical Issues in the Determination of Death. The Commission.
  • Shorey S, Chua C. Nurses and nursing students' experiences on pediatric end-of-life care and death: A qualitative systematic review. Nurse Educ Today. 2022 May;112:105332. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105332. Epub 2022 Mar 18. PubMed 35334222 ↗
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  • Rumalessin, U. T., & Vera, L. O. (2025). E-Learnıng Through Student Voıces: An Exploratory Study In Health Scıences Educatıon. Diklat Review: Jurnal manajemen pendidikan dan pelatihan, 9(1), 144-150.
  • Ruiz-Pellon N, Sarabia-Cobo C, Amo-Setien F, Fernandez-Pena R, Abajas R, Martin R, Ortego-Mate C. Experiences of nursing students participating in end-of-life education programs: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis. Nurse Educ Today. 2020 Jul;90:104442. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104442. Epub 2020 Apr 19. PubMed 32353644 ↗
  • Ocalan S, Bilgin A, Altundal Duru H, Kovanci MS. End-of-life care preparedness program for senior nursing students in Turkiye: Effects on attitudes and self-efficacy in a randomized controlled trial. Nurse Educ Pract. 2026 Feb;91:104717. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2026.104717. Epub 2026 Jan 8. PubMed 41518927 ↗
  • Noonan, K., Horsfall, D., Leonard, R., & Rosenberg, J. (2016). Developing death literacy. Progress in Palliative Care, 24(1), 31-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/09699260.2015.1103498
  • Noonan K. Death literacy-developing a tool to measure the social impact of public health initiatives. Ann Palliat Med. 2018 Jan;7(Suppl 1):AB007. doi: 10.21037/apm.2018.s007. PubMed 29402101 ↗
  • Natuhwera G, Namisango E, Ellis P. Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, and Correlates in Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Quantitative Insights from Final-Year Nursing and Medical Students in a Mixed-Methods Study. Palliat Care Soc Pract. 2025 Feb 6;19:26323524251316901. doi: 10.1177/26323524251316901. eCollection 2025. PubMed 39926421 ↗
  • Martín-Parrilla, M. Á., Durán-Gómez, N., López-Jurado, C. F., Montanero-Fernández, J., & Cáceres, M. C. (2025). Impact of simulation-based learning experiences on enhancing coping with death in nursing students: An experimental study. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 103, 101740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2025.101740
  • Marta, L. V. (2025). Overcoming fear of death through clinical simulation in nursing education. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design. Heliyon, 11(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42760
  • Leonard R, Noonan K, Horsfall D, Kelly M, Rosenberg JP, Grindrod A, Rumbold B, Rahn A. Developing a death literacy index. Death Stud. 2022;46(9):2110-2122. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2021.1894268. Epub 2021 Jun 21. PubMed 34152939 ↗
  • Lee S, Noonan K, Grindrod A, Shrestha S, Read N. Death Literacy and Death Competence in Undergraduate Clinical and Allied Health Education: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2026 Jan 19;15:e86867. doi: 10.2196/86867. PubMed 41553757 ↗
  • Kose Tosunoz I, Ci̇nci̇noglu G. Perceptions of good death and attitudes toward dignified death and euthanasia among nursing students in Turkiye: a cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study. BMC Med Educ. 2025 Dec 17;26(1):115. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-08435-6. PubMed 41408628 ↗
  • Kovanci, M. S., Bilgin, A., & Ocalan, S. (2024). Turkish validity and reliability study of the End-of-Life and Post-Death Self-Efficacy Scale for nursing students. Journal of Health Sciences University Nursing, 6(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.48071/sbuhemsirelik.1293862
  • Kaygusuz, T. O., Agalar, C., Kurtaran, B., Cag, Y., & Tasbakan, M. (2021). The perspectives of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology specialists on online education applications and web-based seminars. Mediterranean Journal of Infection, Microbes and Antimicrobials, 10(1), 4-4. https://doi.org/10.4274/mjima.galenos.2021.2020.4
  • Karalar, B. C., Yildirim, Y., Aykar, F. S., & Fadiloglu, Z. C. (2022). After death care according to the transcultural nursing model: A case report. Journal of Health Sciences Institute, 7(3), 244-250. https://doi.org/10.51754/cusbed.1052153
  • Hsu, C. M., Yeh, Y. C., & Yen, J. (2009). Development of design criteria and evaluation scale for web-based learning platforms. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 39(1), 90-95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2008.08.006
  • Guo Q, Jacelon CS. An integrative review of dignity in end-of-life care. Palliat Med. 2014 Jul;28(7):931-940. doi: 10.1177/0269216314528399. Epub 2014 Mar 31. PubMed 24685648 ↗
  • Goktuna G, Dagcan Sahin N, Gurol Arslan G. Death Literacy and Related Factors Among Nursing Students in Turkey: The Role of Spiritual Well-Being. J Relig Health. 2025 Oct;64(5):4278-4292. doi: 10.1007/s10943-025-02421-4. Epub 2025 Aug 24. PubMed 40849847 ↗
  • Esteban-Burgos AA, Moya-Carramolino J, Vinuesa-Box M, Puente-Fernandez D, Garcia-Caro MP, Montoya-Juarez R, Lopez-Morales M. Clinical Simulation in Palliative Care for Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Randomized Clinical Trial and Complementary Qualitative Study. Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Feb 6;12(4):421. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12040421. PubMed 38391797 ↗
  • Duru Asiret G, Kutmec Yilmaz C, Goksin I. Relationship between the nursing students' attitudes towards spiritual care and the principles of a good death. Perspect Psychiatr Care. 2020 Oct;56(4):913-919. doi: 10.1111/ppc.12511. Epub 2020 Apr 13. PubMed 32285477 ↗
  • Durojaiye A, Ryan R, Doody O. Student nurse education and preparation for palliative care: A scoping review. PLoS One. 2023 Jul 3;18(7):e0286678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286678. eCollection 2023. PubMed 37399170 ↗
  • Duan Y, Huang J, Yu R, Lin F, Liu Y. Evaluation of the effect of death education based on the Peace of Mind Tea House: a randomized controlled trial of nursing trainees at Xiamen University, China. BMC Nurs. 2024 Aug 26;23(1):597. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02188-1. PubMed 39183284 ↗
  • Donne J, Odrowaz T, Pike S, Youl B, Lo K. Teaching Palliative Care to Health Professional Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2019 Nov;36(11):1026-1041. doi: 10.1177/1049909119859521. Epub 2019 Jul 15. PubMed 31307208 ↗
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  • Conley CE. Student nurses' end-of-life and post mortem care self-efficacy: A descriptive study. Nurse Educ Today. 2023 Feb;121:105698. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2022.105698. Epub 2022 Dec 17. PubMed 36549255 ↗
  • Chua JYX, Shorey S. Effectiveness of end-of-life educational interventions at improving nurses and nursing students' attitude toward death and care of dying patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Educ Today. 2021 Jun;101:104892. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104892. Epub 2021 Apr 15. PubMed 33866077 ↗
  • Bilgic S. The Meaning of Death for Nursing Students and Their Attitudes Toward Dignified Death Principles. Omega (Westport). 2023 Mar;86(4):1388-1401. doi: 10.1177/00302228211009754. Epub 2021 Apr 16. PubMed 33858235 ↗
  • Basak T, Demirtas A, Sahin Karaduman G, Duman S, Cerit B. The Effect of an Escape Room Simulation on Postmortem Care Training For Nursing Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2026 Jan 1;28(1):E17-E23. doi: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000001166. Epub 2025 Sep 17. PubMed 41373097 ↗
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  • Alshammari F, Sim J, Lapkin S, Stephens M. Registered nurses' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about end-of-life care in non-specialist palliative care settings: A mixed studies review. Nurse Educ Pract. 2022 Feb;59:103294. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103294. Epub 2022 Jan 15. PubMed 35078071 ↗
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Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Feb 2027; primary completion for Jun 2027, 4 months later.

Of 105 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Death, half reached primary completion within 24 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 48. This study's planned 4 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 109 studies reached it within 24 months; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 48.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jul 26, 2026
First posted
Jul 30, 2026
StartEst.
Feb 2027
Primary completionEst.
Jun 2027
CompletionEst.
Feb 2028
Last update
Aug 4, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 4, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07737028
Responsible party
Gizem Nur Katı (Research Assistant/Principal Investigator, Necmettin Erbakan University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 30, 2026
Start date
Feb 2027 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jun 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Feb 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 4, 2026

Study contacts

Gizem Nur Kati, PhD (c)
Contact
gizemnur.kati@erbakan.edu.tr
+905057185094
Hilal Turkben Polat, Associate Professor
principal investigator · Necmettin Erbakan University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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